Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Garden office research and development


An interesting short piece by Charlie Dalton of Smart Garden Offices and micro living specialists Zedbox about investment in the future, R&D tax credits, and government support packages. Here's a snippet:
We've always been tech-led, and new product development has been core to our astronomical growth over the last few years (Smart has quadrupled in size in just 4 years) but it had always been incidental to the business and, in truth, rather ad-hoc. We started our concerted R&D programme quite gently with an in house team and small barn separate from our main factory in late 2016, but by mid 2017 it became quite apparent that we needed to create more resource to accommodate our internal demand. Hence we created our own high-tech resource and recruited an exceptional team of individuals to propel and improve our products to become world class
Well worth a read, whether you're a supplier or a shedworker. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday posts are sponsored by Garden Spaces, suppliers of contemporary garden buildings, offices, gyms and studios, many of which do not require planning

Monday, July 30, 2018

Garden office covered with ivy


A lovely garden office writing studio designed by Matt Gibson Architecture and Interior Design Studio from Melbourne, Australia, in conjuntion with Ben Scott Garden Design. Covered with Boston Ivy, it is 107 sq ft, run using solar power, and built using sustainably sourced wood. Inside, the walls are covered with special plywood panels. Here's what the architects say about it:
"The notion of the Writer's Shed holds a particularly romantic allure for many - at once, a specific and mysterious realm of creative and imaginative conception. It provides a sanctuary away from the distractions of the world - both the physical and mental space for a wandering mind to roam."
Images by Shannon McGrath and more images here. -------------------------------------------------
Monday posts are sponsored by garden2office, the Swedish garden office specialists. Click here for more details.

Sunday, July 29, 2018

Free tickets for The London Homebuilding & Renovating Show


The London Homebuilding & Renovating Show is returning to ExCeL (September 21 - 23),  sponsored this year by Checkatrade and Nethouseprices. Across three full days, visitors can speak to over 500 exhibitors and access free advice sessions, seminars and masterclasses on essential topics which can tackle any problem, from implementing the latest intelligent security systems to funding a remodelling project.

We've arranged that all readers of Shedworking can claim a free pair of tickets. Simply click www.homebuildingshow.co.uk/shedworking and follow the instructions. Please note that tickets must be redeemed before on 3pm on 20 September 2018 and see the Terms and Conditions below.

1. A pair of tickets is worth £16 based on the advanced ticket price and £24 on the door. Tickets are valid for entry on one day of the exhibition. Children aged 16 years and under are able to attend free of charge.

2. Please note that the free daily seminars and masterclasses can’t be booked in advance but visitors should arrive early to each slot to guarantee a seat. Please see more about seminar and workshop timetable via the show website here

3. The one-on-one appointments can only be booked on entry to the show and are offered on a first come first served basis. Arrive early to avoid disappointment.

To retrieve their tickets, readers must click on the link, fill out their details and print off their tickets to take to the show. Tickets must be redeemed before the link expires on 3pm the day before each event. ------------------------------------
Sunday posts are sponsored by eDEN Garden Rooms. Stunning, bespoke high quality garden rooms, to suit your unique space and style

Friday, July 27, 2018

The Cave Company

Building garden rooms using former shipping containers became very popular half a dozen years ago and Wetherby-based The Cave Company speciailises in doing just that. Obviously made of metal, they come with fully-insulated walls, roofs and flolors, built-in vapour barriers and a de-humidfier. Because they can be easily craned in and out, you can take them with you if you move home. Optional extras include wooden decking, green roof, and sun awnings.
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Friday posts are sponsored by Warwick Buildings, manufacturers of outstanding quality timber buildings. Click here for more information.

Thursday, July 26, 2018

How to build a timber-framed yurt


If you like yurts and fancy building your own, Rotunda Roundhouses has an interesting case study on their site following the progress of Paul Irish from Somerset-based The Yurt Retreat.

"His vision was for a Roundhouse he could design and build himself to the standards and aesthetics which would tie in with his existing style," says Gemma Roe, owner of Rotunda. His site already had four luxury 20ft yurts (not to mention a treehouse, luxury shepherds huts and boutique barn conversions), so Paul was after something that would fit well among that selection.

"Guided by his requirements, Rotunda designed and built the cassettes only, the structural framework, and provided him with the  walls and the roof panels which cleverly slot into their positions and bolt onto the structural steelwork at the dome aperture," explains Gemma. "As with all of our self-build kits, we always install the structure and leave it watertight prior to handing it over to the client on site. In this instance, we erected the walls and roof. We gave him the bolt-on service of  tiling the roof with the 100% recycled flexible eco-slates and then left Paul and his team to work their magic."

Click the link at the top of this post for more details and photos of the build. Excellent photo by Matthew Heritage.

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Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional buildings.

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Art studio




It's nice to see shots of a garden office in situ to give some idea of how they look in the real world outside the loveliness of brochures. Here's a good example of an art studio in Sussex belonging to artist Vivienne Shanahan, built by Green Studios, and overlooking the rest of the garden and house. Originally she had been using the dining room as a work area but realised that she needed a separate space.

The spec included natural cedar wood flooring, open board cladding, and sliding doors, the whole build requiring planning permission because of its location in a national park.

 

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Wednesday posts are sponsored by Eurodita, the leader in serving smart dealers

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Garden room timeline


We're often asked how long it takes to get a garden office into your back garden. The answer is, usually, much quicker than you might think. Here's an example from eDEN Garden Rooms of what they did with a 5.6m x 3m multi-use space at a semi-detached home in Wimbledon (so all materials and tools were taken through a side access point which speeded things up a bit) with integrated store, double doors, floor-to-ceiling windows, and fire retardant concrete panels.

* March 13: Initial site visit. Two days later eDEN sent full drawings and a comprehensive quote through to the client for consideration.
* March 28: After a couple of rounds of tweaks and re-drafts, the client signed off on their preferred design, and a site build slot was booked and all materials ordered
* April 24: Team on-site, removing the earlier shed and clearing the site, ready for the construction team
* May: Build began in the first week of May and the two-week build allocation took eight days on-site for the garden room to be completed, and the keys handed over to the client

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Tuesday posts are sponsored by Garden Spaces, suppliers of contemporary garden buildings, offices, gyms and studios, many of which do not require planning

Monday, July 23, 2018

Soundproof garden music studio


West Sussex-based Miniature Manors covers Sussex,  Surrey and Kent, providing garden offices such as this music studio for a disc jockey in Portsmouth. "By using a specialised insulation and adding clever spacing between the internal and external walls, our garden studios keep escaping sound to an absolute minimum," they say.

This client wanted a soundproof space for making music and preparing mixes as well as storage for his musical equipment. The spec was 3m x 3m, soundproof to approximately 80 decibels, with concrete base walls, and floor and ceiling fully double-insulated with sound insulation. The whole thing is clad with treated redwood shiplap with a flat EPDM rubber roof. The guttering was connected to a water butt. -------------------------------------------------
Monday posts are sponsored by garden2office, the Swedish garden office specialists. Click here for more details.

Friday, July 20, 2018

Outdoor Pods




Isle of Wight-based The Meeting Pod Company has a wide range of shedlike atmospheres designed to recreate the garden office experience both inside offices and out in the open. Pictured above is their newest model, the Outdoor Pod.

Like the rest of the pod family, it is made from durable composite material and has an acoustic foam interior for noise reduction. Plus naturally it is entirely waterproof. Options include front and rear double glazed enclosures, solar panels with battery storage, timber or cushioned seating, and grass effect flooring, and Bluetooth waterproof speakers.
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Friday posts are sponsored by Warwick Buildings, manufacturers of outstanding quality timber buildings. Click here for more information.

Thursday, July 19, 2018

Writer's garden studio + summer offer



Here's an attractive Garden Affairs garden office for a writer in the West Country which also has marvellous views over the neighbouring valley. It's a 2.5m x 2.5m flat roof log cabin in 58mm timber, with the exterior decor inspired by a trip to Sweden, and a green sedum roof. Other features include decking outside and a log burner inside.

Garden Affairs also have a couple of offers running at the moment until the end of July, offering up to £750 off Scotts of Thrapston summerhouses, and a free paint finish on cedar Chelsea Summerhouses.

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Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional buildings.

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Yoga studio (video)


Yoga studios are becoming increasingly popular in the garden office world. Here's a video showcasing one designed and built by Rotunda Roundhouses.

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Wednesday posts are sponsored by Eurodita, the leader in serving smart dealers

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Plan to provide sheds as counselling spaces



Having built my dream shed (the Fibonacci shed), writes Paul Hurst I decided to keep it for R&R only, a no work zone. My wife was also strongly in favour of me having a private ‘decompression’ space.

A counsellor and psychotherapist, I hired rooms for sessions. When one was disrupted by locals not following the booking schedule, we escaped to my shed – a safe and secure place close by and I stopped using the venue. Although advised in training to go for a neutral ‘magnolia and dried flowers’ vibe, I found that something about the building resonated with clients - especially men. Maybe the curved brick walls were comforting, or perhaps being covered in oddments rather than certificates and diplomas is more welcoming? Working relationships usually develop now far more quickly, and clients who have had trouble expressing their emotions do so freely in my shack.

Sadly, clients often come only as a last resort. Issues are best addressed earlier rather than later and resolved if possible before requiring full-on therapy. Working as a non-religious member of the local hospital chaplaincy team, we provide pastoral care, often just listening - giving people space and time to discover issues, explore and resolve them. Although simple, this can be very powerful and effective experience.

Can the benefits of this low-key approach be offered to the public at large, at places where we gather naturally? Sheds can provide small, informal, comfortable spaces to chat in (other suggestions include beach huts, boats, camper vans and black cabs). To explore the potential of this approach, I am volunteering to provide this service in the South East and London areas.

Please do let me know your shed (and non-shed) related thoughts and suggestions about possible venues and events, or if you would like to train as a volunteer! 

This is a guest post by Paul Hurst. You can email him here.

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Tuesday posts are sponsored by Garden Spaces, suppliers of contemporary garden buildings, offices, gyms and studios, many of which do not require planning

Monday, July 16, 2018

Tiny tea and coffee appliances for the garden office


If you're looking for tea and coffee-making appliances for your garden office, these are intriguing possibilities from Capresso. Its On-the-Go Personal Coffee Maker allows you to take home-brewed coffee with you wherever you go (or just staying put), brewing directly in under four minutes into a 16-ounce thermal travel mug. According to the company, it keeps your coffee hot for hours.

Alternatively, the 5-Cup Mini Drip is a compact programmable drip coffee maker that brews coffee in less than a minute per cup. There is a glass carafe with brew-through lid, drip-free pouring spout and permanent GoldTone filter. You can even use the Drip stop function to pour a cup while brewing.

There is also the 16 oz Mini Kettle with micro filter spout, cool-touch handle, drip-free pouring spout and water level window. It comes with a heat-resistant base, cord storage, concealed low-noise heating element, and dry boil protection. And if you want a grinder, the company's Blade Grinder grinds whole bean coffee (or indeed or dried spices, dried herbs or seeds) using stainless steel blades working on a pulse action system. -------------------------------------------------
Monday posts are sponsored by garden2office, the Swedish garden office specialists. Click here for more details.

Sunday, July 15, 2018

Garden room offers


There's a good offer from eDEN Garden Rooms on now - for every garden room/office booking confirmed for an August 2018 build date, they will offer a special upgrade. You can pick from a BOSE wireless speaker system, triple glazing on your garden room doors, or £500 discount off your total garden room order value. Meanwhile Arctic Cabins (below) are offering 0% interest on all buildings and hot tubs over the July 21/22 weekend. You can find out more about their finance options here.


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Sunday posts are sponsored by eDEN Garden Rooms. Stunning, bespoke high quality garden rooms, to suit your unique space and style

Friday, July 13, 2018

Haynes Shed Manual: Update




Several readers have been asking how the Shed Manual John Coupe and I are working on for Haynes is coming along (see here for the story so far). Here are some recent shots from the latest photoshoot taken by Dave Hodgkinson at the various sites in the south-east where the sheds are being built.

Top is Hodge snapping John as he prepares to make additional shingles for the garden room building pictured centre (all the shingle are entirely hand-made), while the bottom image is the largest structure we're planning to include, partly built with the help of one of the country's most famous eco-builders and woodsmen, Ben Law.

The builds are all close to completion and we are wrapping up the words too. The book should be available in all good bookshops in spring 2019.
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Friday posts are sponsored by Warwick Buildings, manufacturers of outstanding quality timber buildings. Click here for more information.

Thursday, July 12, 2018

How to build a shoffice


We featured Platform 5's marvellous shoffice nearly six years ago on Shedworking. "The glazed office space nestles into an extruded timber elliptical shell, reminiscent of a wood shaving that unfurls to form a small terrace in the lawn," according to Platform 5. But how was it all put together?

There's a marvellous explanation on the morphstructures site (where there are more images), the structural engineers who built the oak-lined structure. Here's what they say about it:
The structural geometry is defined by laser-cut steel hoops at each end with stressed-skin timber panels spanning in between. This hybrid structure is then clad in curved oak boards. The inherent stiffness of the steel hoops minimises horizontal loads on the foundations, allowing simple proprietary footings to be utilised."



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Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional buildings.

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Shed Egryn


A lovely story from the Cambrian News about Shed Egryn, a community shed build devised and put together by local residents in Llanegryn, Wales. The idea is along the lines of Men's Sheds, but to widen the concept out and encourage people of all ages and sexes to use the space as a local resource.


The excellent video below explains more about its story.

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Wednesday posts are sponsored by Eurodita, the leader in serving smart dealers

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Garden office beer fridge

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Tuesday posts are sponsored by Garden Spaces, suppliers of contemporary garden buildings, offices, gyms and studios, many of which do not require planning